What is GCSE? 

GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is a two year programme and students in the UK start GCSEs at age 14 in year 10 and then they take the public examinations at age 16 in year 11. This is the end of compulsory school in the UK.

Education to GCSE level is required for students who want to study for the International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma) or to Advanced Level (A-level). GCSE exams were introduced as the compulsory school-leavers' examinations in the late 1980s in the UK. Five or more A*–C grades, including English and Maths, is the requirement in the UK for taking A Levels in the school sixth form (years 12-13) after leaving secondary school. 

In some subjects, students do coursework assignments and this is marked and is part of their final grade in the subject.  The rest of the grade is determined by their performance in examinations.

Academic Summer offer IGCSE preparation & revision classes for students aged 13 to 14

This course is good for you if you want to prepare for IGCSEs or revise for your GCSEs or a pre-IB programme or just want an interesting and unique academic experience in the summer. You should have at least a B1 level of English on the Common European Framework.

The IGCSE course is based on the broad curriculum of the IGCSE/GCSE programme and covers a wide range of Academic subjects appropriate to the ages and study stages of the students in the group.  If you are in the 13 – 14 age, you will develop knowledge of secondary school subjects through the medium of communicative English. We have a cross-curricular approach and lessons involve a mixture of theory and practical work. For example in Science you will do some practical experiments in the Science Laboratories. You will also develop your IT skills, research and study skills, language skills and learn how to do effective presentations.  At the end of your course you will take a City and Guilds English examination so you will go home with an internationally recognised qualification.  You will have one lesson of English every day and as well as English you will study subjects such as:

• Art
• Business Studies
• Geography
• History
• Literature
• Maths
• Religion
• Sciences
• ICT
• Design and Technology
• Social Studies

We aim to make learning interesting and we want to give you a purpose and motivation for developing your English by making the content you are learning real and relevant. You are taught by qualified subject teachers and they are supported by EFL teachers. They work as a team to meet your individual needs. We follow a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach which is modern EFL methodology which is very effective in helping students improve their language skills. 

This programme is offered both in Cambridge Tutors College, Sidcot School and Liverpool College.